Nashville Toy and Food Drives to Support This Holiday Season
To help make the season a little more magical for your neighbors in need, keep these local gift and food drives in mind! Image: iStock
As we head into the holidays, we’re looking for ways to spread joy and give back. From checking off holiday wish lists to donating much-needed food items, here are a few opportunities to make the season a little more magical for your neighbors in need.
Connectus Health Toy Drive
Drop-off Dates: Donations will be accepted through December 5, 2025 (during business hours)
Drop-off Location: Connectus Health Vine Hill (601 Benton Avenue, Nashville, TN 37204)
More Info: connectus.org
Connectus Health is a nonprofit healthcare organization that offers affordable medical services to individuals and families across Middle Tennessee. The clinics provide care for people with or without insurance, focusing on practical, evidence-based treatment and community wellness. And their 2025 Toy Drive is in full swing! Drop off new, unwrapped toys, or contribute by purchasing a toy or donating to the gift card fund through the Amazon Wish List.
This toy drive benefits children in the local community who could use a reason to smile this season.
Jingle Toy Drive
More Info: give.vanderbilthealth.org
Monroe Carell is the largest children’s hospital in the Southeast and one of the top children’s hospitals in the nation. Working with experts across Vanderbilt University Medical Center, it brings the latest pediatric treatments and innovations to Monroe Carell and 22 regional and affiliated clinics.
Many children at Monroe Carell won’t be able to go home for the holidays, but you can bring a little joy, comfort, and magic to these young patients and their families through the annual Jingle Toy Drive. There are many ways to make an impact, whether it’s buying from their Amazon Wish List, adopting a floor (supporting an entire hospital unit with a fundraising goal of $5,000 or more), making an online gift, or hosting your own virtual toy drive to rally friends and family toward your fundraising goal!
Last Minute Toy Store
Drop-off Dates: Donations will be accepted Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through December 11, 2025
Drop-Off Location: Highland Park Church (5710 Knob Road, Nashville, TN 37209)
* From December 12 through December 20, 2025, all donations should be dropped off at Davidson County Sheriff’s Service Center (5117 Harding Place, Nashville, TN 37211). For hours, click here.
More Info: lastminutetoystore.com
Last Minute Toy Store (LMTS) allows Davidson County families in need to shop for free, new toys! As the name suggests, the store serves parents and guardians who haven’t received assistance or who missed the deadline for other Middle Tennessee charities and organizations in 2025.
The organization is accepting new, unwrapped toys, bikes, and other age-appropriate gifts valued between $10 and $25 for children from newborns to 18 years old. For teen gifts, LMTS encourages donating gift cards valued between $15 and $20 to stores such as Bath & Body Works, Walmart, Old Navy, Target, GameStop, Books-A-Million, and Amazon. You can also shop from LMTS’s Amazon Wish List or make a tax-deductible financial donation on their website!
This drive benefits families who have experienced hardship in 2025 due to unemployment, family crisis or trauma, debilitating illness, or financial strain that makes it difficult to provide for Christmas while covering basic expenses. The deadline to donate is December 20, 2025.
Spiritual Care Network: Holiday Gathering & Christmas Gift Drive
Event Date: December 19, 2025
Event Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Event Location: The Café at Thistle Farms (5122 Charlotte Avenue, Nashville, TN 37209)
More Info: eventbrite.com
The Spiritual Care Network brings together behavioral healthcare and faith communities, providing attendees with resources and education that encourage advocacy, teamwork, and positive impact.
This free event at The Café at Thistle Farms, hosted by Freeman Recovery Center in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, celebrates the season with festive coffees, connection, and generosity. It supports the Women and Children’s Program at Recovery Community, Inc. (RCI) through a Christmas Gift Drive. Reserve your free ticket here.
The Toy Store
Drop-off Dates: Donations will be accepted through November 25, 2025
Drop-off location: The Store (2009 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204)
More Info: thestore.org
Founded by Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, The Store brings the community together to combat food insecurity in Middle Tennessee. It goes beyond traditional food aid, offering a sustainable solution through choice, education, and support. Their holiday initiative, dubbed “The Toy Store,” lights up the lives of those in need. More than just a gift drive, it creates a sense of magic and community. Volunteers help sort gifts, shop with families for presents, and make the season bright.
The Toy Store is accepting new, unwrapped toys online via its wish list, or you can make a financial donation to support the cause. The Toy Store also benefits families facing food insecurity. With your help, parents can find the perfect presents and prepare a special meal for their children, all “at no cost, and with dignity and choice.” Drop off your donation by November 25, 2025!
Second Harvest
Drop-off hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
Drop-off Locations: Any of the Second Harvest Food Bank Warehouses
More Info: secondharvestmidtn.org
A holiday feast is a tradition for many families, but some of our Nashville neighbors have never experienced that joy due to food insecurity. Second Harvest works hard to ensure that no family in need is left behind by providing food and resources — not just during the holidays, but all year long. Second Harvest accepts donations of dry goods, perishable items, frozen foods, and produce at all three of its warehouse locations in Nashville, Smyrna, and Camden from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
You can also drop off non-perishable items in the Second Harvest Food Bank donation barrels located in front of your local Kroger!
Local businesses like Flora Plant Shop and The Violin Shop are giving back to Second Harvest with their own food drives:
- Flora Plant Shop is accepting canned fruits and vegetables, rice, oats, pasta, and other grains, canned beans, lentils, meat, cereal, and shelf-stable milk. Drop off your items during store hours, and they will be delivered to Second Harvest.
- The Violin Shop is accepting peanut butter, nut and seed butters, canned chicken or tuna, soups, rice, pasta, cereal, and canned vegetables. Donations can be dropped off in the two bins located at the front and rear exits of the shop.
Spread the cheer, Nashville!
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Addy Crosby
Originally from Lakeland, FL, Addy Crosby is a Florida State University alumna (Go Noles!) who now resides in Nashville, TN. When she’s not writing for StyleBlueprint, Addy loves time outdoors, exploring the local craft beer scene, and spending time with friends. Addy also regularly writes for the Development and Alumni Relations department at Vanderbilt University and has been a published writer since her freshman year of college, thanks to her involvement in various campus publications.